Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books Saylor.org
to fill it. You will find guidelines online for evaluating job offers and negotiating your
compensation, for example, among the useful links at
http://www.rileyguide.com/offers.html. Another resource includes the simple “Job
Offer Checklist” at http://www.collegegrad.com/offer.
In some cases, your employer may offer you a contract, a legal agreement that details
your responsibilities and compensation and your employer’s responsibilities and
expectations. As with any contract, you should thoroughly understand it before signing.
If you will be employed as a member of a trade union or labor union under a
collective bargaining agreement, the terms of the contract may be applicable to all
union members and therefore not negotiable by individual employees.
It is exciting to get a job offer, but don’t let the excitement overwhelm your good sense.
Before you accept a job, feel positive that you can live with it. You never really know
what a job is like until you do, but it is better to go into it optimistically. When you are
just starting a career or trying one out, it is most important to be able to learn and grow
in your job, and you may have a period of “paying your dues.” But if you are really
miserable in a job, you won’t be able to learn and grow, no matter how “golden” the
opportunity is supposed to be.
KEY TAKEAWAYS- Venues for finding jobs include
o trade magazines,o professional organizations or their journals,o career fairs,o employment agencies or “headhunters,”o employment Web sites,o company Web sites,o government Web sites,o your school’s career development office.- Networking is a valuable way to expand your job search.
- Selling your labor to a prospective employer usually involves sending a cover letter and
résumé, filling out an application form, and/or having an interview.o The cover letter should get a prospective employer to read your résumé.o The résumé should get the employer to offer you an interview.o The interview should get the employer to offer you the job.